gobig

Could you position your boat to cast a shadow that extends that window? That's the crazy stuff.

The coldest water I have fished out west is 42 deg. Our lakes that have bass don't usually freeze over. I do catch fish on cranks, lip less cranks, spinnerbaits and other moving baits. I fish them pretty slow though. To add to what Catt said... One thing I have noticed is fish tend to feed in shorter periods. Many times I will go most of the day with out a bite and then for an hour or so the bite turns on. I also tend to do well in pre-frontal conditions and I have caught some really big bass during the storms. Those post frontal days or real irregular weather patterns can make for a real grind.

I have to second the Okuma Guide Select 7'11" Heavy. Great entry level rod for the money. If you are looking to spend a little more money Phenix, Loomis, Doybns and Low down customs all make great swimbait specific rods. Most 300 series reels or larger will handle the job. I am pretty much a shimanno guy. On my swimbait rods I have 2 Calcutta 400's, 2 currado 300's and one cardiff 300.

When you look to guys like Bill Siemantel, Bill Murphy or Buck Perry who have extra ordinary success, there is one common denominator that always shows up. They all talk structure. However I think Bill Siemantel brings some new concepts to the table. With the technology in graphs and what the big swimbaits have visibly exposed in clear water I think things have changed. I personally think his book is gold. What people tend to want is a magic bullet. They don't want to put in the time to learn and think for themselves. This is the reason the tackle companies make so much money based on the hot new color or the bait that won the classic. What Bills book provides are the systems to break down the water column and structure. It teaches you how to select the proper tool for the job and encourages outside the box thinking.

There really is no need for a treble on a hud68.

This is the stuff I have studied for the last several years. There are four parts to this presentation. These concepts have made a huge difference in my results.

With that style of swimbait I would not go with that kind of harness. I would much rather use a line thru like a Rago BV or an Osprey. The line thru allows the bait to slide up the line taking away leverage from the fish. Both are straight up fish catchers.

RoLo's description of the differences is spot on. All that I can say is that all the different water types present there own set of challenges. One thing remains the same, fish use structure and cover. I don't care what kind of body of water it is structure still plays a roll. In a natural lake depth change of a foot or two can make a difference as to why or why not a spot holds fish. Just because there are no huge tapering points does not mean the lake is void of structure its just at a smaller scale. For example if you start at the bank and follow the bottom contour of the lake. Lets say it decends 1ft every 20ft until its 4ft deep. Then at the 4ft mark it decends 1ft in 10ft and the back to 1ft every 20ft. That could be the change your looking for. Obviously the more pronounced a contour change is the better. The best way to learn a natural lake is when the weeds are as close to gone as possible.

Depends on the application. There are different characteristics with each brand and the style of the hook.

I wouldn't say that there is a best bait company. Each manufacturer seems to have one or a few baits that really excel.

California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada and if I remember right I caught some small mouth in Idaho when I we were chasing trout, I was pretty young. I have also caught bass in Canada.

The Float and Fly is a very powerful tool that catches giant fish.

There was a pleasure boat lost when I was there for the U.S. Open. I would bet 3/4 of the field or more punched waves on day two.

Top waters work year round where the water does not get solid.

The worst conditions I have ever seen while bass fishing happend at lake Mead located on the Nevada/ Arizona border. Went from 115 deg to a 90 deg monsoon. For those of you that don't know monsoons deliver torrential down pours causing flash flooding and heavy winds. I have seen big water in several other places but what makes it so bad at Mead are the canyons walls. The wave bounce off the walls back into themselves. There is no trough to run and they are very inconsistent. The wave action is similar to what you would see if you drove your boat in circles only 6-8ft tall.

I think they are the future. I think its going to be just like the dirt bike world where 4 strokes are going to take over. I have to re-power my boat and If money were not an option I would go with the sho hands down. Better fuel economy and longevity.

Big bass usually feed the day before I go or the day after. If I go in the morning they bite in the afternoon. If I go in the afternoon they feed in the morning. If I go all day they feed at night and if I go at night they feed in the day. My only solution is to go fishing 24/7.

Happy New Year everyone.

Personally I like Dry Creek tubes. The full body double dips are my favorite. I buy them in 50 packs and rig them using dart heads from a local company. The reason I like the dartheads is the 90 deg line tie. You can really change the action of the tube depending on where you position the darthead. Put a little megastrike on the darthead before inserting it in the tube and it will slide right in with out damage to the tube. Plus its megastrike. In all they cost me about 90cents a tube. Some of the places I fish them you can go through 20 or more a day. So an inexpensive tube that looks killer is key to not breaking the bank.

I got a lot of miles throwing big baits on my 300e. Everything from hudds to big glide baits.

I have tested Hudds they work.

There are other factors than size determining the speed a bait can be worked at. To prove my point look at a BBZ 1 swimbait. 3 different sink rates that are all the same size with completely different capabilities. Its more about refinement and quality control. There are companies out there that mass produce never testing the baits they sell and there are others that test each bait before sale. No albacore for you!

Or a wood punker on a 8ft swimbait rod with a calcutta 400. Most of my big baits will go that far and so will some of my crankbaits. Hard baits with enough weight and the right rod/reel combo go a long way.

That's just over 50 yards. I got several baits I can cast farther than that.

I think you could be successful with one brand but what fun would that be?